22 Oversized Planters You Can Make From Upcycled Items
Amp up your curb appeal (and save some cash) by transforming an old tire, trash can or laundry basket into an eye-catching planter.

Photo By: Jalynn Baker
Photo By: Rustic White Photography, LLC
Photo By: Cassidy Garcia, Styling by Chelsea Faulkner
Photo By: Cassidy Garcia, Styling by Jill Tennant Design
Photo By: Robert Peterson, Rustic White Photography
Photo By: Cassidy Garcia
Photo By: Sarah Busby, Styling by Chelsea Faulkner
Photo By: Cassidy Garcia, Styling by Jill Tennant Design
Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith
Photo By: Cassidy Garcia
Photo By: Jalynn Baker
Photo By: Cassidy Garcia
Photo By: Johnson Giles, Loch & Key Productions
Photo By: Shain Rievley
Photo By: Image courtesy of Sam Henderson
Photo By: Cassidy Garcia, Styling by Jill Tennant Design
Photo By: Courtesy of Brian Patrick Flynn
Photo By: Jalynn Baker
Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith
Photo By: Elizabeth Wiseman
Photo By: photo by Sam Henderson
Transform a Tire
Don't toss those spent tires! Turn them into chic planters with a little paint and a few basic materials from the hardware store. This planter looks especially pretty filled with colorful blooms like red and white begonias. When you're ready for a new look, simply roll it to another location or paint it a fresh, seasonal color. Get the step-by-step instructions at the link below.
GET THE HOW-TO: How to Turn an Old Tire Into a Pretty Planter
Pretty Pallet Planters
Clever uses for old pallets are never-ending, but sometimes you just want to keep it simple — like upcycling a few old pallet planks into this easy, breezy budget-friendly DIY planter box you can build in about an hour.
GET THE HOW-TO: Upcycle Old Pallets Into Colorful Planter Boxes
Upgrade Old Metal Hanging Baskets
Give your outdoor space the look of an enchanted English garden by transforming inexpensive metal hanging baskets into a gorgeous, cottage-style topiary base for your favorite climbing vine or flower.
GET THE HOW-TO: Craft a Cottage-Inspired Topiary Globe From Old Hanging Baskets
DIY Galvanized Drink Bucket Planter
GET THE HOW-TO: Transform a Galvanized Tub Into a Chic, Summery Planter
Trendy Tree Trunk
A large old tree had to be cut down but was creatively turned into an attractive sculptural oversized planter with midcentury paperclip-style legs for the courtyard.
GET THE HOW-TO: How to Make a Planter Out of a Recycled Tree Stump
Turn Tomato Cages Into Plant Stands
GET THE HOW-TO: 3 Fun Ways to Take a Tomato Cage From Practical to Pretty
Craft a Faux Boxwood Flamingo Topiary
Have your kitschy lawn ornaments seen better days? Give those feathered friends a new lease on life and add a tropical twist to your front porch or back patio with this crafty flamingo topiary that needs no maintenance to keep its playful good looks.
GET THE HOW-TO: Kitschy-Cool: How to Craft a Faux Boxwood Flamingo
Upcycled Popcorn Tin Planter
Transform a popcorn tin into a chic, concrete-style planter for less than $5. The secret? Paint!
Fix Up a 5-Gallon Bucket
Use outdoor Mod Podge, hot glue, sisal rope and your favorite fabric (or fabric scraps) to transform a 5-gallon bucket into a fun, flirty planter just in time for summer.
GET THE HOW-TO: Upcycle a 5-Gallon Bucket Into a Fun, Fabric-Covered Planter
Transform a Tote
Canvas totes are not only handy for weekend trips and shopping outings; when monogrammed, they also make sweet gifts and even a perfectly personalized planter for your front porch.
GET THE HOW-TO: How to Turn a Canvas Tote Into a Pretty Planter
Upgrade Your Outdoor Umbrella
GET THE HOW-TO: Throwing Shade: DIY Rolling Umbrella Stand Planter
Nautical Laundry Basket Planter
Has your plastic laundry basket seen better days? Give it new life as a summery, jute-wrapped planter. For this project, you'll need a plastic laundry basket, 1/2-inch 3-ply jute rope, navy blue rope, high-temp hot glue, drill and drill bit, and a plastic drop cloth or trash bag.
GET THE HOW-TO: Upcycle a Laundry Basket Into a Nautical-Style Planter
Vintage Birdcage Succulent Planter
HGTV digital host Marianne Canada teaches you how to take a vintage birdcage and turn it into an upcylced succulent planter. Follow along for the how-to on HGTV.com.
GET THE HOW-TO: Upcycle a Vintage Birdcage Into a Cute Succulent Planter
Faux Zinc Planter
This stylish zinc planter looks haute but stays cool in the sun. And no one will ever know it’s faux.
GET THE HOW-TO: How to Paint a Faux Zinc Planter
Turn an Old Table Into a Raised Planter
Save your back and boost your lawn’s curb appeal with a DIY raised cedar planter that rests on an upcycled table base.
GET THE HOW-TO: How to Turn an Old Table Into a Raised Planter
Finishing Up
Add potting soil. Adjust shape as you fill and tamp down soil slightly to create desired spiral form. Add plants leaving enough room for future growth. Water fully.
GET THE HOW-TO: Spin Control: Make a Spiral Planter
DIY Tile Planter
Trash to Treasure
GET THE HOW-TO: Create a Mobile Container Garden
Put It on Display
Transform a plastic trash can into a farmhouse-chic planter for less than $10. Place your new shiplap-inspired planter next to the front door for a farmhouse-chic look you can enjoy all year long.
GET THE HOW-TO: Transform a Plastic Trash Can Into a Shiplap-Inspired Planter
Weatherproof a Basket
You’ve seen it on all your favorite design sites and in catalogs: a wicker basket as a planter. But water + natural woven fibers = leaks and a rotten mess in short order. Learn how to protect your pricey basket while still achieving a trendy look with our waterproofing tips.
GET THE HOW-TO: Turn a Woven Basket Into a Pretty Planter
A Brick Planter With House Numbers Stuffed With Plants
This brick planter sits against a lovely stone house beside two other planters. The planter consists of bricks sitting atop a cedar base with a house number plaque on the front.
GET THE HOW-TO: Brick-by-Brick Guide to Building a Raised Planter With House Numbers
Dressed to Impress
Sometimes breathing new life into antiques means giving them a totally new function like this antique shaving stand. Gone are the days of beard trimmings! It now serves a new post as official greeter, lined with lively pansies and other cheerful trinkets. Create a similar welcome for your home with an estate sale find or something you have tucked away in the attic.
GET THE HOW-TO: Make a Front-Porch Planter From Repurposed Furniture